A blue-green micro-algae dating back 3.5 billion years...

Spirulina is a cyanobacteria or blue-green micro-algae that appeared on Earth 3.5 billion years ago. It is particularly recognizable by its spiral shape, measuring 0.2 to 0.5 mm in length.

This unicellular organism, capable of photosynthesis, is at the origin of all terrestrial plants, as well as the appearance of aerobic living beings (which use oxygen to live).

Through the process of photosynthesis, it transformed the unbreathable atmosphere into a viable environment for oxygen-using organisms.

Today, it is estimated that 90% of the Earth's oxygen (around 330 billion tonnes) comes from algae.

Present on every continent except Antarctica, blue-green micro-algae are represented by 1,500 species, 36 of which are edible. Traces of Spirulina are found naturally in certain conditions (warm, alkaline waters rich in mineral salts) between 35° North and 35° South. Spirulina is even found in the Sinai desert, where just a few drops of water can be enough to "wake it up". As it dries, spirulina transforms into green particles that keep very well.

Spirulina around the world...

In Mexico, the Aztecs were already consuming spirulina during the reign of Emperor Montezuma (1467 -1520). Fond of fish, Montezuma dispatched athletic runners to cover the 300km between the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico City in order to consume fresh fish. These runners took it in turns to cover long distances thanks to their natural EPO... dried spirulina! Harvested using extremely fine-mesh nets in the form of a blue-green sludge, it was dried into patties, eaten with cereals and seasoned with chilmolli (a sauce made from tomatoes, chillies and spices).

Spirulina from Mexico has unfortunately disappeared. The conquistadors dried up the lakes that provided Spirulina to create farmland for growing corn, tomatoes, etc., or to turn them into pastureland. Spirulina was thus forgotten. In 1960, a French engineer took charge of a soda ash production plant in Mexico City and battled against a blue sludge that engulfed the machines. He then burned the substance with the garbage until he identified it as spirulina.

On the shores of Lake Chad, spirulina forms a thick green carpet harvested by the Kanembous tribe. Traditionally, the women harvest the spirulina using woven baskets and drain the sludge directly on the sand of the dunes, in full sunlight. This dihe is eaten daily in a sauce and becomes a real foodstuff, making up the bulk of the ration in times of famine. It's thanks to spirulina that these tribes and their children seem to be safe from malnutrition.

... and the universe

Spirulina should be part of the basic diet of astronauts on their journey to Mars. Thanks to its high concentration of macro-nutrients (including proteins), vitamins and minerals, spirulina is an ideal food source. Easily cultivated, Spirulina recycles wastewater and produces oxygen by consuming CO2, making it ideal for this type of mission, where yield and space requirements are optimized.

Spirulina is a thousand-year-old food consumed throughout the world, and probably soon beyond. Long before the discovery of its components and mechanisms of action, this micro-algae was already being consumed for therapeutic and performance purposes.